Motor clock mounting



July 31, 1928.

J. F. MANSFIELD Mo'ron CLOCK MOUNTING Filed March 18, 1927 INVENTOR.

James f. Mamsfie/a RNE Y5.

Patented J ily' 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

JAMES r. MANSFIELD, or FLORAL PARK, NEW YORK.

Moron CLOCK MOUNTING.

Application filed March 18, 1927. Serial No. 176,384.

be grouped under two distinct headings. In

one, the clocks are secured to the instrument W board by means of bolts adapted to be passed through the frame of the clock and through the instrument board to receive nuts at the back of the instrument board. The second means of attaching clocks, and particularly 5 clocks of the larger'and heavier type is to cut a circular hole in the instrument board and set the clock into the holethus formed. In both of the foregoing conventional clock mountings, it is essential to deface the 3" instrument board or at least cut away a portion thereof either to form the bolt holes rcferred to or to provide the opening into which the clock is to be inserted.- Instrument boards on the present day cars are of many car owners hesitate to deface them to permit of the attachment of a clock which it may be later decided to discard. Asa result, numerous automobile owners refuse to attach the clocks now on the market.

With the foregoing considerations inmind, the object of the present invention is to provide simple and eflicient means whereby a clock may be associated with the instrument board of an automobile without in anywise defacing such board and without necessitating the perforating or cutting away thereof in any manner whatsoever.

In its preferred practical f0rm, the frame of the motor clock of the present invention is provided at its bottom with a rearwardly projecting bracket formed at its back with an upstanding flange tapped to receive a clamping screw which, in practice, is preferably inclined slightly, so that its forward end is slightly lower than its rearward end. The bracket is sufliciently deep to permit it to be slipped upwardly from the under side of an instrument board and to clear the flange with which the instrument boards of many cars are provided. After the clock is in the position desired with the base of the bracket resting against the bottom of the instrument board, the set screw is tightened to firmly clamp the frame of the clock to highly polished or ornamental finish and the board and to rigidly hold it in position until the set screw is released. The advantage of slightly inclining the set screw as described is that slight flexing of the bracket when the screw is tightened will not leave theparts in a condition to work'loose.

The advantages of the foregoing arrangenent are that the attaching means is simple in construction, may be readily associated w th any instrument board without in any-- wise mar-ring the same, and the attachments will not inadvertently work loose due to vibration of the motor.

Features of the invention, other than those specified will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read n conpinction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one practical embodiment of the invention,

but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not 'as defining the limits of the invention. D Figure 1 is ZLJDGISPBCUVG view showing a fragment of an instrument board having as sociated therewith a clock embodying the present invention. Figure 2 s a side elevation of the parts as shown 111 Figure 1. I

F gure 3 is a perspective view of the attaching bracket shown associated with the clock in the preceding figures. 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a motor clock having a frame 2 with the'bot-o tom of which is associated a bracket 3. In

practice, this bracket may be made integral with the frame, but, in the structure of the drawings, it is shown as made separate from the frame and permanently secured thereto by means of rivets passed through openings 4 in the bracket.

Thebracket is substantially U shaped and comprises a base portion 5, a-front leg 6 and a back leg 7. The front leg is riveted to the frame as stated, so as to be permanently and rigidly associated therewith. The bottom portion 5 is sufl ic-iently deep in a direction axially of-a clock to bridge the space across relatively deep flanges 8 formed at the base of the instrument board 9 of any make of motor car. The instrument boards of most motor cars have the finishing flange 8 and provision must be made therefor.

-The back leg 7 is provided with a tapped hole 10, through which a set screw 11 extends. The forward end of the set screw is preferably slightly concave as shown at 12 and the set screw is slightly inclined with repect to the axis of the clock, sothat the concave end of the screw will be slightly lower than the head thereof. In practice, I preferably use a screw with a polygonal head 13, so that after it is tightened by means of a wrench, it cannot be readily de tached by unauthorized persons.

In attaching the clock to an instrument board, the screw 11 is backed off sufficiently to permit the clock to be brought into cooperative relation with the instrument board so as to occupy the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, after which the screw 11 is tightened. During this tightening operation, the concave end of the screw will bite into the back of the instrument board and preclude slipping of the parts under the vibration of the engine after the parts are secured in position.

A slight inclination of the nut 11 is dc sirable for the reason that there is apt to be a slight flexing of the bracket when the screw is tightened, and if the screw were not inclined, such flexing of the bracket would cause the screw to be inclined upwardly when the parts were in attached position, and as a result there would be a possibility of the clock to grip in a downward direction when subjected to vibration of the engine. YVhen the screw is inclined, however, in contradistinction,any tendency of the clock to grip downwardly would cause the'parts to bind moretightly and there would be no possibility of disengagement of the clock from the instrument board.

The device of this invention may be economically manufactured, is thoroughly efficient in the performance of its intended functions and fulfills a long felt need in the provision of means whereby an automobile clock may be associated with the instrument board of the motor car without in anywise changing, altering or defacing the face of the board.

The foregoing description sets forth the invention in its preferred, practical form,

but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claim.

It is deemed important that the screw 11 be disposed substantially as shown and that the leg 7 extend upwardly behind the instrument board and at a substantial distance therefrom, with the screw threaded through the said leg of the bracket in such an inclined posit-ion downward when screwed into engagement with the instrument board and at thesame time have its engaging end positioned at a substantial distance from the lower edge of the instrument board, so that any tendency of the clock to slip downwardly will cause the parts to'bind more tightly and effectually, and there will be no possibility of disengagement of the clock from the instrument board, whereas if the screw were not downwardly inclined the flexing of the bracket, though slight, would be sufficient to cause the screw to be inclined upwardly. under such flexure and the result would be that the clock would slip in a downward direction when subjected to vibrations of the engine and the clock would be dislodged.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An instrument provided with a frame adapted to bear against the face of aninstrument board, a substantially U-shaped snbstantial-ly rigid bracket, one leg of which is secured to the lower portion of the frame and which bracket is adapted to extend beneath the lower edge of the inst-run'ient board with the other leg of the bracket extending upwardly behind the instrument board and at a substantial distance therefrom, and a screw threaded through the latter leg of the bracket in such a manner as to occupy a downwardly inclined position when screwed into engagement with the instrument board and at the same time have its engaging end positioned at a substantial distance fronr the lower edge of the instrument board, said screw having a biting end.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

JAMES F. MANSFIELD. 

